The Journey of Zogar
by KJbish
Summary: Set before the fall of the riders, a man finds all of the hidden responsibilities and threats that come with becoming a dragon rider. Follow Zogar as he defeats countless enemies, and tames a land previously unconquered.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Got one!" Yelled Zogar to his best friend, Undor. It was a nice day in Hedarth so the two friends had decided to go fishing along the Edda River. It was a calm river that flowed up toward Eldor Lake. There were many stories about Eldor Lake in Hedarth. Several of the town elders even thought that the lake was haunted.

"Its getting late Zogar, we should probably be heading back to town." The two boys were only about 15 years old and not allowed to stay out past nightfall.

Zogar started to put all of their belongings into his pack when he noticed Undor staring at something. He looked up and it was no bigger than an eagle, but it shined bright red like the sun. Then he realized that it was steadily growing and heading right for the river. He and Undor began to shy away from the river towards the woods as if to hide from the now massive bird, when presence enveloped his mind and said, "don't be afraid, I am Ryath, and this is my dragon, Lyrod. We are friends and mean you no harm."

"Wow!" exclaimed Undor, "a real Dragon rider!" and Zogar realized that Undor must have felt the presence as well.

The dragon began to slow its descent about 50 yards above the river, until it was hovering about 10 feet above the ground. And the man atop the saddle leapt off and landed on the ground with astonishing ease. The man was about 6 feet tall and very thin. He had a very muscular build and different clothing than any Zogar had ever seen. A beautiful red sword that gleamed exactly the same shade of red as his brilliant dragon, and hung from the right side of his hip.

Zogar heard an enormous splash and turned to see that the dragon had plunged into the river. Its head came back up about 45 seconds later with 3 fish in its massive jaws. It had teeth bigger than Zogars forearms, and he was about the size of a small house. It was by far the biggest animal that Zogar had ever seen.

Zogar was paralyzed by fear and excitement; he didn't know what to do until the man walked over and stuck out his hand. Zogar took it and unsure what to say, said, "Hello sir."

The Mysterious rider said "Hello, what is your name?"

"My name is Zogar," he replied confidently.

"Hello there Zogar, would you kindly direct me to the town called Hedarth?"

"Actually, we were on our way toward Hedarth when you showed up, you could accompany us if you would like."

"Thank you," said Ryath, "but I don't think that there are any trails large enough to accommodate Lyrod. But you two would fit onto Lyrod if you would like a ride."

"Wow, really?" questioned Undor enthusiastically. "Alright" he exclaimed.

By then Lyrod had joined them on the bank of the river, and Zogar felt a menacingly large consciousness press upon his, he then heard a booming, deep, voice say "hello little ones." Zogar looked around, astonished at who or what he had just experienced. He then realized that it was the dragon that had contacted him. Zogar looked at the gargantuan beast and shivered with fear. He would never survive an attack if this monster were to become hostile toward him. With that, he decided to be as polite as humanly possible to the two strangers.

Ryath motioned toward the two boys, and they gathered their things, then attempted to climb up Lyrods leg as Ryath had. But neither of them were as limber or agile as the man. The enormous dragon had to lie flat on his stomach for the boys to crawl up onto his back. Once they were situated on Lyrods back, one in front, and one behind Ryath, the gigantic dragon leapt off the ground with such force, that his claws left four, two foot deep craters where the beast had been standing. As the animal made its ascent into the air, each beat of its wings made the thick oak trees on the ground bend so far that they seemed as if they were going to snap in to a thousand pieces.

The dragon leveled off when it was a good 30 yards above the tree line, and set in the direction which Zogar told him was the Hedarth.

After a 15 minute ride the 4 of them had made it to the edge of the town and Lyrod landed. The boys needed to hurry home, so they said their goodbyes and left toward the center of town. The two of them were speechless as they walked toward their homes. They were neighbors so they walked home together. When they were 20 or so yards from their houses the boys said goodnight and entered their separate houses.

**So... how did you all like it? Be sure to comment the story so I can try to improve my writing.** Thanks


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Zogar's mother was expecting him, and the moment he stepped in the door, she began to nag him about his chores and how he shouldn't go playing with his friends when there is work to be done. Zogars father had died when Zogar was only three years old so he and his three brothers had to do most of the work around the house. Zogar was the youngest of the children. His mother worked as the tavern maid, while his eldest brother worked as a blacksmiths apprentice. He and his other brother were not quite old enough to work, so they did the chores around the house.

His mother, Angelina, had dinner with his brothers before Zogar had gotten home so he ate alone that night. He did not want to tell his mother about the days experiences while she was still angry with him. When Zogar was done with dinner, he decided to go to bed.

Zogar woke early the next morning and slowly eased out of bed. He walked toward the kitchen and made himself a small plate of eggs and toast. When Zogar was finished with breakfast, he made his way outside to start with his chores.

When he left the house, he noticed that there was a new sign on the town bulletin board. Zogar strolled over across the small city street to see what this new item could be. On the sign, it read. "Do you have what it takes to become the next great dragon rider? Come down to the town hall tonight before sunset to find out!"

"What does this mean?" Zogar silently whispered to himself. Zogar was so wrapped up in his own world of possibilities he hadn't noticed Undor walking up beside him.

"Maybe Ryath and Lyrod are picking out their new apprentice" said Undor uncertainly. "I bet they are going to test all of the children in Hedarth who show up tonight and take the winner to be a dragon rider! We have to go!" exclaimed Undor.

At that very moment, Angelina burst out of Zogar's front door. She briskly walked over to where the two boys were standing, still gawking at the poster. She glanced at it, and she said. "You boys get back to work, there hasn't been a new rider inducted into their order in over 30 years. Why would you think you would be lucky enough to win a spot as a dragon rider?"

As she said this, Ryath walked up toward the sign. "Well, that's exactly why we need your son to come tonight. The elders are anxious for new riders. For, as you said, we haven't recruited a single person in 33 years. Will I see you boys at the ceremony tonight?" Questioned Ryath.

"YES!" Exclaimed the two boys in unison.

"Well," said Ryath, "I am needed elsewhere." And with that, the rider walked away toward the southern part of the village.

The two boys then went about their daily chores with thoughts of flying over Alagaesia and fighting off urgals and every other type of dark being imaginable. The day flew by until it was time for the two boys to go to the contest.

Zogar and Undor hurried to the southern edge of town, which was where the poster had said that the contest would be held. When they neared their destination, they beheld a huge tent. The tent was about the size of a large house, it was painted a magnificent red and orange by the setting sun.

The tent flap was held open by a piece of twine revealing a small dark room inside. The two boys ducked into the tent, unsure what to expect.

Once Zogar's eyes had adjusted to the dim lighting of the small room, he saw Ryath standing before 3 large cylinders. The cylinders were the only furniture of the room and they reached from the floor all the way to the roof of the tent. Ryath greeted the boys with a nod and gestured for them to move toward the other side of the cylinders.

Zogar went first. He followed Ryath around the cylinders and to his amazement, within each cylinder was a stone. These stones were unlike anything he had ever seen. They were differing in size from the smallest, about eight inches long and four five inches thick to the largest which was about thirteen inches long and seven inches wide. As far as Zogar could tell, the stones had no flaws. They were perfectly round, the first one that Ryath motioned toward was bright yellow.

"What do you want me to do?" inquired Zogar.

"The way a person becomes a rider has nothing to do with their skills, abilities, or anything else. It is their personality. The dragon inside each of these eggs is fully formed and ready to hatch. But! None of them will hatch until the correct person comes and touches their egg."

"So you want me to touch each of the dragon eggs to see if I am the right person" asked Zogar.

"Exactly," proclaimed Ryath enthusiastically. Zogar proceeded to touch each of the three eggs. The yellow one did nothing when he placed the palm of his hand on it. The second egg looked as if it was an enormous pearl. It was brilliant white with black lines that spider webbed around it. It was about 6 inches around, and 10 inches long.

As Zogar stretched out his arm to place his hand upon the tip of the egg, the egg twitched. It was such a small movement that he didn't think Ryath had noticed it. Zogar ignored the odd movement and placed the palm of his left hand upon the very tip of the white egg. Just as he did so, the egg began to make noises. Each time that the egg made a noise, one of the black lines upon its shell would crack. This went on for about 15 seconds until the egg was completely broken. And at that moment, a small white head poked its way out of the wrecked shell. Zogar had just become a dragon rider.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Zogar was infatuated with his new companion. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the small white dragon. He, almost subconsciously, reached out and touched the dragon on the tip of its snout with his left palm. He immediately felt a freezing sensation and withdrew his palm. He twisted his wrist and examined his left palm, and even as he watched, a silvery white mark appeared where he had touched the dragon. He then felt a small consciousness pressing upon his mind. When he looked down at the dragon, it looked back up at him, and he felt a sensation of happiness from the consciousness. Then he realized that the consciousness must be the dragon.

Zogar had been so amazed by what was happening to him, that he hadn't noticed Ryath and Undor standing around him. They both had expressions of awe on their faces. Ryath, because this was the first rider to be initiated in over 30 years, and Undor, because his best friend was now a dragon rider.

The three of them were so taken with what had just transpired, that none of them noticed a man in a black robe sneak into the room. The minute that Ryath glanced at the man, he could tell what his intentions were. Before Zogar knew what was happening, Ryath had drawn his sword and lunged toward the man with such speed and force that he had to somersault to slow himself when the man ducked to his right. The hooded man drew a sword of his own just in time to circumvent Ryath's blade and counter strike. Ryath then besieged the attacker with four blows so quick that Zogar lost sight of his sword. Ryath then feinted right and stabbed up through the man's chest.

Ryath extricated his sword from the man's chest and told the boys to stay in the tent. He then sprinted out the front entrance. Zogar looked back toward where his dragon had hatched and was surprised when the creature wasn't there. He looked around the ground and he was perplexed when he couldn't locate the dragon. He then looked up toward the center of the tent and laughed when he saw the white dragon perched on one of the tent's support beams licking itself clean. Apparently Undor had noticed the dragon's disappearance as well and was looking around for it.

"How did he get up there?" questioned Undor when Zogar pointed him out. And as he asked the question, the dragon leapt off of the beam and glided upon its wings, which were about 3 times the size of its body, down to the ground. It was the most beautiful thing that Zogar had ever experienced. Zogar could almost see through the dragons thin wings. They were made up of very thin membrane that outlined every bone and muscle in each wing. It was so intricate that he wondered how any being earthly or godly could create it.

The dragon curled up at Zogars feet and began to clean itself again. As the creature moved, Zogar could see the dragon begin to adjust to it's oddly shaped body. Its head was roughly triangular, with brilliant silver eyes that revealed knowledge beyond it's years. It had two teeth that were larger than the rest, and protruded from its jaws. Each padded foot was equipped with razor sharp claws that were made to rip through flesh. Zogar could tell that when the dragon matured, it would be a fearsome beast to behold. Any enemy would be daft to even attempt to attack a fully grown dragon. Ryath walked back in, and the dragon slowly lifted it's head to peer at the newcomer then went about it's business exploring the room.

"Who was that?" questioned Zogar.

"That was a member of Maela-deyja. In English, that would be, Quiet-death. More and more of their clan have been showing up in recent years. Nobody knows where they came from, or what they are after. We need to get moving just in case there are more of them around.

Zogar and Ryath parted upon their own tasks and met back at the tent in about 3 hour's time. Ryath had spent most of his time buying supplies that they would need for their trip. Zogar returned home to explain all that had happened to his mother. He then said his farewells, gathered all that he thought he would need, and left his home without a backward glance.

The small dragon followed him everywhere. It kept very good pace for being but one day old. The creature's mind was in constant contact with his own. It was as if an alien being was inside his mind and could read his every thought. Zogar did not mind having the dragon there though. It felt like an extension of his body and mind. As if Zogar had become two separate people. Occasionally the dragon would send a picture or a smell that it found particularly interesting across their mental link, but for the most part, it kept to itself.

As Zogar walked along the road, the white dragon would circle him over head. The dragon was only about the size of a large robin. In each movement, it was precise and careful. Once, the dragon spotted a frog along the path in front of Zogar, and it dove toward it. Just as Zogar thought it was going to hit the ground, it snatched the frog up into its jaws and pulled out of the dive. It was an astonishing sight. After that, the dragon was content to circle above Zogar.

He and the dragon made their way back to where Ryath had told them to meet him. But when they arrived, he was nowhere in sight. Zogar sat against a wall while the young dragon explored the new area.

"Where could he be?" questioned Zogar quietly to himself. "Maybe he got lost in the city. Or maybe, he had to face more of those maela-deyja members." Zogar shuddered at the thought of the evil man who had tried to attack the three of them. And if there were more around, he wanted to leave as soon as possible.

Zogar soon grew tired of waiting for Ryath. He began to ponder his new relationship to the dragon. He felt for the dragons consciousness with his mind. It was an odd thing, groping with your mind through open space. It felt as if the walls around his thoughts had fallen away, and he could drift away from his body at any moment. He found the dragons mind with his own. He did not know how to communicate with it, for the dragon did not know how to speak. Then he remembered that the dragon had impressed images into his mind.

Through their mental link, he began to press impress images, and words unto the dragon in an attempt to teach it to speak. He first showed the dragon an image of himself, and then followed it by thinking the word Zogar. He did this several times, until he gave up. The creature didn't seem to be able to understand him.

Zogar was lost in his thoughts, when the dragon pressed an image of Ryath walking towards them from the center of the city into his mind. Zogar was still surprised every time that the dragon communicated with him. He looked up and saw that what the dragon had shown him. But instead of the look of complacent thought that the rider usually had about him, he looked as if he was fearful of something. Ryath kept looking behind him, as if he thought someone might be following him. When he reached the pair, all he said was, "come we need to leave right away. I'll explain later."

So the dragon and the boy scrambled to their feet and the three of them left the city as quickly as they could. Ryath walked at such a brisk pace that Zogar was pressed to keep up with him. "What could have happened to make Ryath so fearful?" Zogar thought to himself, and the dragon.

"I'm going to tell your dragon to meet up with Lyrod at our camp site. That way if we are attacked he won't be harmed." Explained Ryath

"Alright," agreed Zogar reluctantly.

As he agreed, the brilliant white dragon soared off in front of the two men in the direction of the campsite.

"Lyrod will protect him if anything should happen" said Ryath.

It took the two of them almost a half of an hour to reach the camp. When they arrived, Zogar observed that there was a fire blazing in the center of the camp, and the two dragons were settled around it. Zogar's dragon was minuscule in comparison with Lyrod. Each time that the enormous dragon let out a breath, nearby bushes and grass would shy away, and then back towards him as he inhaled. The flames from the fire sent beams of light flickering off of the dragons hide, which led to a magnificent spectacle of light and color in the night sky. It was a mesmerizing sight that almost set him into a trance. He fell asleep watching the stars and listening to the sound of the white dragon's breath.


End file.
